House of Wettin

The House of Wettin was a German royal dynasty that once ruled Saxony and Thuringia in eastern Germany. The family takes its name from the town of Wettin in Saxony-Anhalt, and the family came to rule the eastern march of Saxony in 1030, later gaining Meissen in 1089, Thuringia in 1263, and the Electorate of Saxony in 1423. In 1485, the family split into Ernestine and Albertine branches, and the Ernestine branch, which included Frederick III, Elector of Saxony, supported the Protestant Reformation, while the Albertine branch would later come to rule over Poland and leave a major impact on its history. The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is one of the branches of the family, and it still rules over Belgium and the United Kingdom.